Replacing A Skimmer

by Brian
(Columbus, Ohio)

I recently bought a house with an above ground pool (18x33). The pool has not been used for a few years and I am replacing the liner.

The skimmer is shot (plastic broken, no basket etc..). From what I can tell it is a Muskin skimmer model A4372. From my searches it seems that model is now obsolete. I can not find any info on replacement models etc.

Do you know if there is a replacement model or how I can correctly replace it. The cut out in the pool seems a lot larger than the skimmers I find online.

Thanks for your help

Hi Brian. Muskin used a very large skimmer design for many years. They are probably very hard to find now. I would not buy one even if I could find it. It was never my favorite design.

I would tape a piece of coil stock metal or aluminum to the inside of the wall to cover up the skimmer opening and cut a new hole to fit a standard Hayward skimmer. Hayward makes a far better skimmer and they are much easier to get parts and gaskets for.

When cutting a new skimmer opening I start by drilling two holes at the top, using the new faceplate as a template. I use these holes to bolt the faceplate into place on the outside of the wall. I then drill the rest of the screw holes. I use a pencil and mark the square opening. I remove the faceplate and score the pencil lines with a razor blade. I then use a hole saw and cut a large hole in the middle of the square. I use tin snips to cut from the center to each corner. Now you have four sections that can be bent back and forth until they snap off.

Above Ground Pool Skimmer Mess

Is there any way of replacing the skimmer with the pool full? My skimmer has been covered with some kind of putty or epoxy from the previous owners of the house I just bought.

Whatever this stuff is that he used is caulking and now I have a constant drip. HELP PLEASE

Hi Jeremy. Some people use caulking as a way to seal a leaky skimmer. The recommended way to seal a leaky skimmer on an above ground pool is to start by tightening all of the screws. This is part of pool maintenance that should be done every couple of years. If that does not work the gaskets should be replaced. This will usually do the job. If some of the screw holes are stripped out and will not tighten a new skimmer is needed.

When replacing the gaskets, or the entire skimmer, the wall should be inspected for rust. Anything that might cause a leak should be flattened out smooth. A pair of pliers usually works well for this.

Aside from tightening the screws, anything done to the skimmer would require the water to be lowered. It just needs to be a little below the skimmer, otherwise you will have a big mess when the skimmer is taken off.

I have seen the type of caulking mess you are talking about. Take a razor knife and patiently clean the skimmer and the sidewall, you want all of the caulking gone.

Replacing Old Muskin Skimmer

by Pete

I have an oval pool I believe it may be 18' x 33'. I had a new liner installed 2 years ago, I had suggested to the installer that I should update my skimmer. He said it wasn't necessary that mine was fine, turns out it is not fine, it's cracked and missing some internals.

Problem is this is a large box, I think a Muskin, it has a large square opening at the top, then on the lower half there is an opening, where 2 small holes exist, I believe for adjusting water flow and cleaning.

All my efforts to track down a replacement have found nothing, and my hole in the pool is much larger than modern skimmer box. Any suggestions?

thanks, Pete

Hi Pete. It sure sounds like a Muskin skimmer to me. Here is a link to a store that might have one. They say they are no longer making Muskin parts but they might have what you need still in stock.

If you do not find a replacement you might consider switching to a small square Hayward type skimmer the next time you change your liner. You would use flat stock aluminum or metal and cover over you existing opening, from the inside of the pool. A new hole could then be cut for the square type skimmer.